Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 deaths.
What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?
A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim, NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.
The database below contains over 2,245,377 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports, when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.
How to interpret what you read
A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:
- One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report, that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
- Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
- Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
- Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.
If you've experienced a defect
File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints, specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened, feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.
Read more from our blog
Showing 42,929 complaints - component: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
Approximately every minute while driving with the headlights on, they will turn off/flicker for a split-second. This makes it seem like I’m flashing my lights at other vehicles, and also makes the lights turn off while driving for a split second which is distracting. This has happened since the vehicle was purchased new and it happens any time the headlights are turned on.
Incident date: Jul 17, 2024
Headlights are flickering intermittently, causing oncoming drivers to think they are being bright lighted. Which causes them to bright light me. Also, headlight flickering causes trailed vehicle drivers to think I am signaling them to stop. Both situations are hazardous, in my opinion.
Incident date: Jun 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated that the daytime running lights were significantly dimmed while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V063000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failur... Read more
CASTLE ROCK
RADIAL ST226
(9999) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Aug 7, 2024
Incident date: Jul 18, 2024
The DRL on these models seem to stop working within 3-4 years. I have only one working on the vehicle currently. Dealer is stating the light cost is $1000 plus install to fix. Apparently it’s a “known” issue by FCA. The safety concern is that when people first see it they have told me they thought I was a motorcycle. As only one DRL is working. The whole headlight should not have to be repla... Read more
Incident date: Aug 3, 2020
The electrical has been an issue for this vehicle. The head and tail lights continuously go out. Sometimes they work, and other times they do not. Since the lights have been an issue, the electrical issue is also now inside the vehicle. The radio and other controls in the vehicle do not work any longer, as well as the lights in the radio, air conditioning, and other controls inside the vehicle. Th... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the brake pedal stopper was fractured, causing the brake lights to remain illuminated. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where an unknown diagnosis and an unknown repair were completed; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 5, 2024
It’s very hard to see at night and I know there is a recall for 2019 Kia forte with low beam aiming the recall is SC171. Also when I start driving I hear a rattling sound and there is another recall for 2019 Kia fortes. Power train axle assembly. The recall is SC195
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2021) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Aug 6, 2024
Incident date: Aug 5, 2024
VW Atlas front LED daytime running lamps stop working within first 4 years of ownership. Daytime running lamps are a standard safety feature of most new vehicles. VW dealership cost to repair $1,000, replace the entire headlight assembly. VW needs to extend warranty on this important safety feature for a vehicle designed to transport families.
Incident date: Aug 6, 2024
Headlights blink or flicker off and on. Both will do it but not at same time. Seems to be only low beams and happens driving or parked. Have been to dealer and they saw it happening. GM is aware and have a bulletin #PIT6203 Headlamp or DRL Flicker or Flash (July 16, 2024) and #PIT6203A ( July 30, 2024 ) Concerns are other drivers or pedestrians think I'm flashing my lights at them signaling to pu... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLE 350
(2023) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Aug 6, 2024
Incident date: Aug 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2024
I am unable to use the high beams. Low beams are very hard to see with making risky when driving at night. No warning lights. I have a service call to dealer. It is available for inspection. No known maintenance issues prior to event.
Incident date: Aug 3, 2024
LED headlamps on both sides of vehicle routinely "flicker" / "blink". The effect is such that oncoming traffic assumes you are "flashing" them or "high beaming" them. Have had several encounters with motorists honking at me or yelling as I pass by. I was also break checked by a vehicle in front of me on the highway when driving at night. These incidents have made driving at night very stressfu... Read more
Incident date: Aug 3, 2024
Headlamps flicker intermittently, every 2-5 mins. Common problem and well documented/discussed on owner forums. There was a tsb issued by gm, bit it was rescinded shortly thereafter. No fix is currently known. Headlight flickers cause other drivers to flash their headlights back at you, as well as other aggressive and unsafe behaviors by other drivers.
Incident date: Aug 6, 2024
The headlights flicker constantly at night. They very quickly power off and back on appearing to other vehicles as if we are flashing our lights. This is a common issue among the 2024 gmc canyons in the facebook owner groups. Its a safety hazard and could also provoke other drivers.
Incident date: Apr 28, 2024
The recall 24V148 regarding headlight High beam issue from Gebruary of thus year still has no remedy in order to fix the issue. It has been 6 months and the dealerships just say sorry we don't have any solution even though the recall associated with my car doesn't apply due to the headlamps being replaced with completely different ones already myself. Why is it being allowed that y kkntha later th... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2021
Ambient light sensor malfunctioned on my 2024 Trax. It would flicker on and off in daylight when in the auto lighting headlight mode. After checking Reddit, many other owners are having the same issue. Chevrolet bulletin 24-an-001 has a direct fix. Avoiding flashing other drivers is important, as this indicates imminent danger is near.
Incident date: Aug 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal was depressed, and the lights became inoperable. When the brake pedal was released, the lights returned to normal functionality. The contact also stated that the cruise control failed to engage as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2023
Headlights flicker off and back on randomly every few minutes. Possible hazards include oncoming drivers being flashed from flicker. Oncoming drivers thinking they're being signaled by the flicker. Pedestrians or cyclists thinking the flash or flicker is signaling them to proceed and that vehicle operator will yield. Possible that headlamps will stay off when they flicker, rendering the driver un... Read more
Incident date: Aug 4, 2024
Headlights began flickering two days after purchase of vehicle. Infotainment screen that operates the headlights, as there is no physical headlight knobs or buttons, also malfunction and is inoperable. So I can not turn my headlights on or off, they're set to auto and I can not adjust it. Service department at my dealership has been able to replicate my issues and are trying to fix them, but part... Read more
Incident date: Jul 7, 2024
Headlights Flicker / GMC knows there is an issue with this / I will be making an appointment with dealership to get it fixed based on document attached
Incident date: Aug 5, 2024
Headlight don't turn on even with new bulbs. Break light fill with water and stop working.
Incident date: Aug 5, 2024
The headlights on the vehicle will flicker/ short out. This creates a high risk when operating the vehicle at night. Vehicle was brought into the dealer for service on 08/05/2024, was told there is no current solution for this problem at this time. No warning light on the dash.
Incident date: Jul 10, 2024
Driving 70mph, driving lights completely shut off. I was going straight with a car in the distance nobody behind. If my wife and kids were driving that would have been scary.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2020) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Aug 4, 2024
Incident date: Jul 17, 2024
The side mirrors plastic is melted so is the plastic on the roof and the plastic between the rear and the front door is melted
Incident date: Aug 2, 2024
The headlight setting randomly changes from “Auto” to “Off” without any operator input. This happens roughly every fourth drive.
Incident date: Aug 4, 2024
The rear tail lights repeatedly "burn out" and have to be replaced. This endangers me and other drivers when the tail lights are not working. The police have told me to fix it. I took it to the dealer who said it will cost $900 to replace wiring. Hyundai has issued an extended warranty (no recall) for this problem but will only fix it if the wires have melted. I believe this is manufacturer defect... Read more
Incident date: Aug 2, 2024
Headlights continously flicker. Took vehicle in and is a known issue with no fix.
Incident date: Jul 13, 2024
The headlights flicker independently every few minutes. This occurs no matter what setting the headlights are on (automatic or not). This has been an issue since purchasing the car new in May.
Incident date: Jul 4, 2024
LED Headlamps blink off and back on in a fraction of a second. Seems to be related to low beam setting. Seems to not be related to auto-dimming functionality. Seems to be a narrow build date window from late Spring 2024 thru June 2024. Occurs when vehicle is moving or parked. Can be replicated in daylight by manually turning headlights on in the control center. GM documented with Document ID 6691... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2024
At night, when ever I backup with this vehicle, the backup camera in the Infotainment display is so bright, it is impossible to use the mirrors or view anything out of the windows. I did several searches on the internet, discovered that this was a problem and that this had occurred in GM vehicles years 2014-2019. A service bulletin 17-NA-269 described and applied a software upgrade to fix issue i... Read more
Incident date: Feb 15, 2015
Since buying this truck new in July of 2024 the Headlights when on, will every few minutes both left and right headlights along with DRLs flicker/blink off and back on again. headlights will flicker or blink Randomly as you drive or when parked the headlights will turn off for a second then come back on. oncoming drivers are being flashed from flicker thinking they are being signaled by f... Read more
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE
(2020) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Aug 2, 2024
Incident date: Jul 29, 2024
Everything malfunctioned lights flickering and glitching all over the dashboard, fuel rail pressure too low, in tank fuel pump has internal failure.
Incident date: Jun 6, 2024
The low beam headlights have gotten very dim over the 6 years I have owned the car, to the point that it is hazardous to drive at night due to very poor visibility. The Honda dealership found no issues and only replaced the bulbs, which did not fix the problem. There are numerous online reports of exactly the same issue with the same model year of this vehicle. I don't understand why Acura does... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2024
I have had to replace multiple headlight bulbs every few months, but recently both headlights just stopped working. The bulbs and fuses are fine. If this had happened at night, I would not have been safe driving this car.
Incident date: Jul 27, 2024
Parked at a store. Car caught on fire while in store. Car had been parked approximately 10 minutes. Left side headlight spontaneously ignited.
Fire
Incident date: Jun 11, 2024
Warning light keeps coming on the gauge saying clean windshield or your safety features will not operate. Comes on as soon as I drive car into my garage. Came on even after washed the car by hand. Been to the dealer twice and the second time they changed the camera in the windshield. Light came back on 3 days later. There is an electrical issue because the rear led cargo lights remain glowing even... Read more
CHRYSLER
PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID
(2023) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Aug 1, 2024
Incident date: Jul 31, 2024
I have an ACURA RDX 2014, the headlight lensed halogen reflectors are dimming and looks like it is a common problem in 2013-2015 Acura. Dealers are not helping us and charging almost 2k dollars to replace with new ones. It is a safety issue and common issue and it seems to a manufacturer issue
Incident date: Jul 31, 2024
The headlights flicker. It doesn’t matter whether auto dim feature is on or off. It happens approximately every 5 minutes or so. This is a dangerous situation. It flashes at vehicles as well as pedestrians. This could cause I’m signaling to go in front of me.
Incident date: Aug 1, 2023
- The vehicle's headlights will briefly turn off during normal operation, it can be made available for inspection - This is a safety issue because: loss of visibility in dark conditions, other vehicles mis-interpret the failure as a signal - The issue has been reproduced and confirmed by many dealers, see discussion forum here - [XXX] - Manufacturer engineers have inspected the component - No war... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2024
Front headlight (high and low beam) is extremely unsafe and does not provide sufficient illumination for rider when operating at the posted speed limit. The beam of the headlights have dark spots that creates a very unsafe condition. Riding with low beam is extremely dangerous, and when the high beam is activated, it does little to solve the problem. I was forced to install auxiliary forward fa... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
while driving at night the headlights will go out. it has done so several times in the past. it is very scary when it happens on the freeway. Also the brake lights, specifically the drivers side, will stop working about every 2 weeks or so. I replace it and shortly after, it will stop working.
Incident date: Jun 1, 2024
We encountered consistent loss of or erratic headlight operation. The behavior was that lighting would simply fail on one or both sides of the car, often along two-lane roads with curves in the road where it is critical to judge distance to oncoming traffic. Other times the lights would dim and wash out the ability to clearly see the road ahead. The dealer has replaced the headlights three times a... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
LED Headlamps flicker off and on and occurs repeatedly every few minutes. Occurs when vehicle is moving or parked. Occurs in a controlled lighting environment meaning it is not due to the auto-headlamp sensor being triggered by light or darkness changes. There are no error or fault warning messages that display on the dash or control center. No human involvement triggers the flickering. The iss... Read more
Incident date: Aug 1, 2024
The headlights keep.going out. I've replaced everything amd it keeps happening and it's not easy to even get to the headlight. This is a hazard as my 16 year old drives this car. We fix it and then it's out all.over again. This has to be a recall as I've done some research and im.not the only one with this problem. We've been pulled over and we just explained our frustration and they've been nice... Read more
Incident date: Jul 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufac... Read more
Incident date: Jul 19, 2024
This car was extremely modified by a company caledl Hestermann Motorwwerks. The specific problem is the installation of LED Tail/Brake lights. The lights are not compatable with the cars electrical system and as a result they have a problem that is called Hyper Flashing. That means the turn signal, when engaged, flashes erratically and wehn the brake pedal is applied the light flalso ashes erratic... Read more
Crash
HONDA
CR-V HYBRID
(2020) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 31, 2024
Incident date: Jul 30, 2024
This car was extremely modified by a company caledl Hestermann Motorwwerks. The specific problem is the installation of LED Tail/Brake lights. The lights are not compatable with the cars electrical system and as a result they have a problem that is called Hyper Flashing. That means the turn signal, when engaged, flashes erratically and wehn the brake pedal is applied the light flalso ashes erratic... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Sep 9, 2023
Rear passenger tail light casing/bucket had burnt connections. Replaced casing/bucket and bulb. Worked for short time, tail light failed a second time. Casing/bucket & bulb replaced, again worked for short time and then went out. Took vehicle to another mechanic after passenger side headlight failed. New mechanic checked casings/bucket - connections looked okay, however both wiring harnesses were ... Read more
TRAILER KING
RST
(9999) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 31, 2024
Incident date: May 24, 2024
LED Headlamps blink off and back on in a fraction of a second. Seems to be related to low beam setting. Seems to not be related to auto-dimming functionality. Seems to be a narrow build date window from late Spring 2024 thru June 2024. Occurs when vehicle is moving or parked. Can be replicated in daylight by manually turning headlights on in the control center. GM documented with Document ID 66... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA CRUZ
(2022) - EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Jul 30, 2024
Incident date: Jun 22, 2024
The rear turn signals on the 2023 Hyundai Tucson are on the rear bumper. They are never seen by any car or truck sitting behind you or next to you in your blindspot. I believe the 2022 & the 2024 also have this issue, and there are numerous complaints about it online, especially on Reddit and auto forums. They are dangerous. Cars too close behind you or next to you in your blindspot, will neve... Read more